In a couple of months, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco may no longer be the only Flacco in the NFL.
Mike Flacco, the younger brother of Joe, declared for the NFL draft after spending four years as a minor league baseball player in the Orioles and Red Sox farm systems. He is considered a potential late-round or undrafted tight end prospect.
Flacco is coming off one year of college football at Division II New Haven.
"He's got one year of experience, so he's going to be a work in progress no matter where he goes," said Ravens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz.
Flacco, 26, enrolled at New Haven after retiring from baseball last year. He showed potential during that one year of college football, and caught 30 passes for 591 yards and nine touchdowns. He was a third-team Division II All-American in his first season of football since high school.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pound prospect is getting some interest from NFL teams, and he auditioned for scouts at New Haven's pro day last week. Flacco ran the 40-yard dash in 4.68 seconds and bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times.
"Obviously he's a big kid – he's not as big as Joe – but he's a good-sized guy," Hortiz said. "He's older, and he's lived a pro lifestyle playing minor league baseball. He obviously has a brother who has seen and has been through it all at the pro level. From that standpoint, I don't think it will be any issue for him."
Some draft analysts have said that Flacco is a “longshot” to make an NFL roster, but he could create a role for himself with strong workouts before the draft.
"I just think it will be a process of developing himself as a player," Hortiz said. "He played really one year of organized college football. It's going to be challenge for him, and it will be a work in progress. Hopefully he'll get a shot and see what he can do with it."
